KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment is planning to woo Americans, especially those from Portland, Oregon, to visit to Sabah.
According to its minister, Datuk Masidi Manjun during a press conference following the launch of the MATTA Fair Sabah 2014 held at Suria Sabah yesterday, the ministry will be holding a Sabah promotional tour in Portland, Oregon this coming September at the invitation of the US ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Joseph Vun, who hails from the city.
Presently, efforts were being made to forge a ‘sister city’ tie between Kota Kinabalu and Portland.
Masidi said that the ministry was not expecting a surge of tourist arrivals from the US after that but cited that the trip in September was geared at inculcating awareness among Americans on Sabah’s existence as one of Malaysia’s best eco-tourism states.
“We also don’t have any target (of visitors from America) as we realise it involves long travelling time from San Francisco to here,” he said.
He also said that it remains to be seen whether it would be economically feasible to install a direct flight from San Francisco to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa.
“This is a commercial decision and has to be made by the airline,” he said.
To get to the US presently, people from Sabah will have to travel to either to Seoul, Korea or via Hong Kong before connecting to San Francisco. The flights are operated by Aseana Air and by Korean Air.
Aside from the US, the ministry will continue its promotional effort in Singapore and in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“They have many quality citizens in Singapore and in Jakarta. There are also a lot of expatriates in Singapore and Jakarta. We will double our efforts,” he said.
Meanwhile, Masidi also reiterated that there had been a huge drop in visitors from China following the MH370 tragedy and later, the kidnapping of Chinese nationals from Sabah’s East Coast.
The drop, he said, was more than 50 per cent.
“They are still suffering from the trauma of MH370 and the kidnappings. The emotional sentiment is not in our favour,” said Masidi.
However, Sabah is still receiving some Chinese tourists who come individually or in small numbers, he said.
“But we are experiencing a surge in Korean arrivals to Sabah,” he said.
He then reminded that the tourism sector has its ups and downs.
Meanwhile, MATTA Sabah chairman, Robert Chong said that the annual MATTA fair was aimed at providing consumers with the opportunity to purchase the best discounted airfares and travel packages while also having the chance to win many attractive prizes and lucky draws.
He said that a total of 90 booths were taken up by travel agents, tour operators, national tourism organisations and travel related products and services organisation in this year’s Sabah MATTA fair.
“This is a decrease of 10 per cent from last year although this year we have an increase of 20 per cent of exhibitors.
“The MATTA Fair is an important income generating activity for the many services related sectors in the travel and tourism industry,” said Masidi.